Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of waste disposal. More specifically, the invention comprises an incinerator capable of incinerating biomass materials such as animal carcasses and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Incinerators in general, and organic waste incinerators in particular, have been in widespread use for decades. A typical example is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,699,745 to Kaehr (1997). The Kaehr device uses an insulation-lined steel drum. As shown in FIG. 5, the general configuration has a gas burner on one end (24) and an exhaust stack on the other end (26).
A loading hatch is provided to load the biomass materials. The reader will observexe2x80x94particularly in FIG. 8xe2x80x94that the biomass material tends to burn in a linear fashion (from one end to the other). The Kaehr device does not employ a grate, since prior art grates tend to deteriorate. Instead, it simply lets the residue fall to the bottom of the combustion chamber.
Similar devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,000,705 to Raber (1977), U.S. Pat. No. 5,799,597 to Kaehr (1998), and U.S. Pat. No. 5,926,933 to Kaehr (1999). The incinerators shown in these patents are representative of the prior art. The most significant aspect of these devices is that the biomass materials tend to burn in a linear fashion. The flame is located on one side of the material and the exhaust on the other. The biomass material begins burning on the side facing the flame, and the flame front progresses through the material.
This linear burning approach represents a limitation of the prior art. Much of the biomass material lies smoldering until the flame front reaches it. Thus, the prior art devices are slow. They also tend to produce incomplete combustion, resulting in excessive waste products. One approach to this problem has been to recombust the exhaust products (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,699,745), but this approach adds considerable complexity. A faster incinerator is certainly desirable.
Accordingly, the prior art devices are limited in that they:
1. Provide a relatively slow combustion process;
2. Require a multi-stage combustion process, adding considerable complexity; and
3. Burn the biomass materials in a linear fashion.
The present invention burns the entire external surface of the biomass material simultaneously. The flame front burns inward toward the core of the material, greatly accelerating the burning process.
Complete flame coverage of the biomass material is achieved by carefully shaping the internal surfaces of the incinerator. Burning gases are injected into a lower flame chamber. This lower flame chamber is bounded on its upper side by a grate, and on its remaining sides by the walls of the incinerator. Above the grate is a biomass chamber, where the animal carcasses or similar waste are deposited for incineration.
The incinerator walls are lined with refractory insulating materials. The walls incorporate a series of vertical flame channels. Likewise, the grate incorporates a series of vertical open channels. These channels are separated by raised ribs, which prevent the biomass materials from closing off the channels. The result is that even when the incinerator is jammed full of biomass materials, the burner flames still spread evenly around the entire external surface of the materials. A supplemental blower injects air to create a swirling pattern of flame within the biomass chamber, thereby covering the top portions of the biomass material.
Accordingly, the present invention provides an animal carcass incinerator which:
1. Rapidly combusts biomass material;
2. Uses a single stage combustion process; and
3. Envelops the entire external surface of the biomass material in flame.